Signs of a Happy Baby
September 1st, 2010
Considering that your newborn won’t learn to smile until after her first month, you’ll have to study her other physical signs to see if Baby is having a good day. If she conforms her body to your arms and doesn’t arch her back, she’s comfortable and happy. She’ll show pleasure with high-pitched babbling. Follow her signals and continue to build your Mama-and-Baby bond!
You probably learned the signs (and sounds) of an unhappy newborn early on. But the signs of happiness can be more mystifying. Baby doesn’t even hit the first true happiness milestone, smiling, until after the first month! Here’s how to tell if your tyke is feeling fine.
Newborn: Two Close for ComfortThe sight of your face and the sound of your voice soothe your new baby. It can be frustrating when you smile and coo and him and are met with a blank, drowsy stare, but that’s a good sign! “At this point babies don’t have the capacity to express positive emotions other than by looking peaceful,” says Linda Acredolo, Ph.D., cofounder of Baby Signs, Inc. “They either cry or don’t cry.” When he turns toward you and gazes at your face, he’s saying, Life is good.
0 to 3 months: Holding PatternsWhen your baby conforms her body to your arms and doesn’t arch her back, it’s a sign that she’s comfortable. At this age, she’s happy when you meet her basic needs: You respond to her cries, feed her, change her diapers, and lull her to sleep. Liz Matheis, of Parsippany, New Jersey, says that before her daughter, Abby, first smiled, “I called her my ‘grouchy old woman.’ But I knew she was happy because she snuggled in my arms and fell asleep.”
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